The city confirms the malfunctions caused by malware on the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport flight, the luggage and e-mail information panels.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The city of Cleveland acknowledged Friday that malicious programs had caused a malfunction of the airport's flight information and baggage information system and e-mail system.

However, in a statement, the administration of Mayor Frank Jackson did not equate the presence of malware with piracy and that the episode did not involve any ransom demand.

"On April 21, malware was discovered on several computer systems at the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. As a result, the display of flight information, the display of baggage information and email systems have been affected, "the statement said. "These systems were not accessed by any unauthorized (hacked) personnel and no ransom demand was requested."

The city first reported Monday that the systems were operating poorly at the city's airport. The boards remained offline Friday, five days later.

The problems did not have any impact on the safety of flights or airports, depending on the city. The airport has deployed additional staff to help travelers find their flights and locate their luggage after arriving in Cleveland.

Before Friday's statement, the administration refused to give details of the cause of the breakdowns or the possibility of an alleged criminal offense.

Three knowledgeable sources told cleveland.com that hackers had infected the information panels and the airport's messaging system.

The FBI confirmed earlier this week that he had been called by the city and that she was cooperating to assess the problems.